1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to rocking chair immobilizers, and more particularly to an immobilizer with features adapted to grip a rocker of a rocking chair.
2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Yehle, U.S. Pat. No. 594,311 describes attachments for baby-carriages having the combination of two rocker-frames provided with clips to engage the carriage-wheels, and joint or collapsible rod connections between said frames, substantially as described.
Metzger, U.S. Pat. No. 1,400,564 describes a device embodying a supporting base having two members. One of the members constituting an upright, means pivotally connecting said members whereby the said upright may be caused to assume any desired angle with respect to a supporting surface and a sign holder flexibly connected with the upright and adapted to receive and removably hold a sign, said sign holder being independent of the pivot between the members and adapted to be flexed at will with respect to the said upright and while the parts remain intact to cause the sign to assume and maintain an upright position with respect to the supporting surface in any position which the said upright may assume.
Skidmore, U.S. Pat. No. 1,592,010 describes a chair rocker shield comprising a ball-shaped protecting portion adapted to cover the outer most rear portion of a rocker, a pair of attaching flanges integral with said protecting portion and inset therefrom and disposed at an acute angle to each other to engage the upper and lower surfaces of a rocker end, a third integral flange extending transversely to said pair of flanges and effective to engage the outer surface of said rocker end, and means to secure said flanges in position.
Perkins, U.S. Pat. No. 1,778,685 describes a rocking chair having rectangular clips slidably arranged on the rockers adjacent to the rear thereof, binding means passing through the top of the clips for contacting with the upper edges of the rockers, and arched spring having a straight longitudinal extension which is received between the clip and the under face of the rocker and which is adjustably and removably held thereon by the binding means between the clip and rocker.
Beisel, U.S. Pat. No. 2,020,230 describes a device having a base section adapted to rest on a floor, a section pivoted thereto and attachable to a chair leg by a driven fastening therethrough and into the leg end, the first mentioned section having an opening therethrough to align with said driven fastening in one position of the two sections to permit moving said driven fastening relatively to the leg.
Gagnon, U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,342 describes a support providing for positioning on the base of a wooden lawn furniture leg. The support has an area that is at least five times the area of the bottom of the leg to distribute the load over a large area. This permits easy sliding of the leg across a lawn. The support is arranged to prevent prolonged contact of the leg with a source of moisture. In addition, the support provides venting to the bottom of the leg to minimize dry-rot.
LaGrange et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,782 describes a protective guard for use in conjunction with a rocking chair of the type having a pair of rocker members that terminate in sharp rocker-ends including a first and second guard member each having a cavity therein of a size sufficient to receive therein one of the rocker ends and a portion of one of the rocket member; and a horizontal guard member in a manner to span a gap between a pair of rocker members. The protective guard may include a cover member, constructed of a flexible, cleanable material, having a compartment therein in connection with a first and second cover opening. The first, second and horizontal guard members are disposed within the compartment in a manner such that the first and second cavity openings are, respectively, insubstantial registration with the first and second cover openings.
The prior art teaches devices which enable immobilizing, in part or in full, a linear or rocking motion in various seating or holding arrangements. However,: the prior art does not teach that a rocking motion immobilizer may be frictionally removably attached to the rocker and may be reinforced against sliding on the floor surface by a non-skid support. Moreover, the prior art does not teach a rocking chair immobilizer which may be made at low cost, of plastic, in one piece, by an automated injection molding process. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.
Rocking chairs are increasingly popular, particularly ones which can be used by children or elderly people. While they are esthetically and functionally attractive, they may present a threat of bodily injury to a child who is trying to climb on the chair but falls backwards as a result of a front rocking motion. The rocking chair may also be dangerous for elderly and handicapped persons when the chair is overturned by excessive back rocking movement under the heavy weight or unsecured movement of the elderly person""s body. Additionally, one may simply wish to stop the motion of a rocking chair so that it may be used as a non-rocking seating facility. The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention provides an apparatus comprising a rigid block with two rigid arms such that there is at least one flexible flap extending from each of the arms in a mutual convergent attitude and are biased toward a center of the space between the rigid arms. The surface of the rigid block adjacent to the space between the rigid arms provides an integral convexly curved surface such that it enables the invention to advantageously accept a downwardly facing surface of the rocker in surface-to-surface line contact. In use, the invention device is wedged between a rocker of a rocking chair and a floor surface upon which the rocking chair is rested. One of the rocking chair""s rockers is inserted in the space between the rigid arms, upon which the flexible flaps, having by construction, a bias sufficient to grip of the rocker, hold the invention on the rocker so that the chair is precluded from a rocking motion and thus is immobilized. Additionally, the rigid block""s surface which faces the floor surface is adapted with an anti-skidding device for contact with the floor. For partial immobilization, the invented device may be used on one of the front or back rockers to immobilize the front or back rocking motion, respectively. Alternatively, the apparatus may be used in pairs and placed in opposing positions on one rocker of the rocking chair and in contact with the floor surface, thus rendering the rocking chair fully immobilized.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a rocking chair immobilizer having advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is provide a rocking motion immobilizer which may be easily and quickly attached by a person with no mechanical skills, and easily detached and removed when desired.
Still another objective is to provide flexible flaps integral to the body of the invention which have such bias as to enable gripping of the rocker so as to hold the apparatus securely on the rocker.
A further objective is to adapt the surface of the apparatus with an anti-skidding means for contact with a floor surface and thus enable the invented apparatus to remain firmly in place while immobilizing the rocking motion of the chair.
Still another objective is to provide a device which is made of s single piece of inexpensive plastic material, and thus is cost effective and simple to produce.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.